The present invention relates to tree holders and more particularly to a stand for a Christmas tree and the like.
There are many types of stands for supporting Christmas trees. However, most have drawbacks in that they are either too flimsy to withstand repeated use, too bulky for easy shipment and storage, or too complex and therefore expensive. One such stand, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,655,331 to Merritt, has a pair of crossed support members which collapse to a parallel relationship when not supporting a tree. A screw extends through the center of the support members and threads into the base of a tree trunk. A locking pin locks the support members in crossed or parallel relationship. Although simple, such a stand provides no means for watering the tree and has several separable small parts which are easily lost.
Other stands incorporate water pans for nourishing the tree. One typical such stand includes a sheet metal water pan having three or four flimsy sheet metal support legs which extend through an upper rim of the pan to a ring centered above the pan. Bolts threaded through the legs and ring and are forced into sides of a tree trunk extending through the ring and resting on the bottom of the pan. Such a stand is unstable, easily bent out of shape, and difficult to assemble and use so that the tree is supported vertically.
Other tree stands such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,350,043 to Apple, 3,272,462 to Apple, and 2,893,668 to Applegate, disclose essentially three-legged tree stands. The legs radiate from a central member from which a screw extends upwardly through a water pan into the base of a tree trunk. Although such stands can be at least partially disassembled or collapsed, they cannot be collapsed or broken down into a compact package for shipment or storage and are, in general, large, complex, and costly to manufacture.
Another simple tree stand includes three legs radiating outwardly and downwardly from a central lag screw for threading into the base of a tree trunk. The legs are welded to the screw. Such stand has no water pan and is bulky, making it difficult and expensive to ship and store.
Accordingly, there is a need for a tree stand which provides a stable support for a tree and yet is of simple, rugged, inexpensive contruction, and can be shipped and stored in a compact package. These are the primary objectives of the invention.
Another object is to provide a tree stand as aforesaid that is easy to assemble and use.
Another object is to provide a stand as aforesaid that includes a water pan.